Refrigerating apparatus



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

R. E. GOULD REFRIGERATING APPARATUS F1191 April 25; 1936 m l 4. WKXWMA u v .w. a Q a.

llllllllllllllllllll llll l Aug. 17, 1937.

flu/4:1: I 60040.

,ws ATTORNEYS,

Patented Aug. -l7, 1937 REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Richard E. Gould, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Dayton, Ohio, a corp'oration of Delaware Application April 25, 1936, Serial No. 76,415-

fucnims. (ci. 62-1031 This invention relates to refrigeration and particularly to refrigerating apparatus wherein the air within the refrigerated compartment thereof is conditioned. I

An object of my invention is to provide a portable refrigerator cabinet with an improved apparatus'for conditioning air within the food storage compartment thereof;

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved mechanically refrigerated cabinet having means for increasing the moisture content of air within the food storage compartment thereof which air hasbeen dehumidified by the cooling effect of an evaporator disposed within the food compartment. I I I A further object of my invention is to remove impurities from water dripping from an. evaporator of a refrigerating system disposed within a food storage compartment, to sterilize purified water and to heat the sterilized purified water to cause evaporation thereof into the food com-- partment to rehumidify air therein.

'In carrying outthe foregoing objects it is a still further object 'of my invention to utilize a heat dissipating portion of a refrigerating system to cause evaporation of the sterilized purified condensate water into the food storage compartment and to provide means for evaporating excess water dripping from the cooling element dis teriorly of the compartment.

Further objects and advantages of the present inventionwill be apparent from the following de-" scription, reference being had to the accompanying -drawings, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings: v I Fig. 1 is a verticalsectional view frigerator cabinet having my invention-embodied therein and showing somewhat diagrammatically certain elements employed in the invention; and- Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1- but showing a i modified form'of my invention.

Referring to thmdrawings, for illustrating myinvention, I have shown in Fig. 1 thereof a re-. 'frigerating apparatus of the portable unitary "household type which can be moved from one locality to another by simply disconnecting the.

electrical cord leading thereto. The apparatus 5 shown inFig. 1 comprises a cabinet generally represented by the reference character I0 and which includes a plurality of insulated walls H supported by a metal shell or a plurality of panels l2 which form the exterior surface of cabinet 10.

5.3 The walls II are lined with a metal member.

posed within the food storage compartmentfex through a re;

which forms a food storage chamber or compartment l3 and the metal panels 12 extend beyond the lowermost portion of chamber l3 to form walls of a. machine compartment l4 below the insulated compartment and in which arefriger- 5 ant liquefying and circulating unit of a closed refrigerating system is mounted. The chamber I3 is provided'with the usual door opening for providing access ther'etoand a door for closing the opening (not shown). The closed refrigerating system associated with cabinet I0 comprises a compressor l6 operatively connected, through suitable belt and pulley connections, to an electric motor 41. A cooling element or evaporator I8 is located within the food storage compart- 15 ment l3 and is preferably insulated from the air within the chamber or compartment 13 and art ranged to form walls of a sharp freezing compartment adapted to receive trays 2| for the making of ice cubes. A second cooling element orevaporator 23 preferably of the flat sheet 4 metal plate type is adapted to be vertically mounted along one side wall of chamber I3. A" pipe or conduit (not shown) connects evaporator IS with evaporator '23 in seriesrelation in the refrigerating system. r v

Operation of compressor l6 withdraws gaseous refrigerant from evaporator 23 through a pipe 28 and compresses the vaporized refrigerant and forces same under pressure through a pipe 29, do

intq the condenser 3| where the compressed refrigerant is cooled and liquefled in any well lmown manner. The liquefied refrigerant flows- I into a receiver 32 where it is stored prior to its flow througlr-e pipe 33 to evaporator l8. An ex 5 pansion device or valve 34 is interposed in the liquid refrigerant supply pipe 33 adjacent evapo-- rator l8 and this device or valve controls the 1 flow of liquid refrigerant into the evaporator l8. Refrigerantflowing through the valve 34 passes 0 through suitable passages provided in evaporator i8 where it absorbs heat .from the contents of trays 2| andcauses a portion of the refrigerant to vaporize. Ordinarily there is more liquid refrigerant permitted to enter evaporator I 8 than 5 can be vaporized therein and this excess liquid refrigerant passes through a pipe to suitable passages provided in evaporator 23 for causing evaporator 23 to produce a cooling effect sufficient to cool the air' and'consequently food prodo ucts stored in the compartment, l3. The arrangement of the evaporators and the flow of refrigerant therethrough as herein disclosed are I -well known tothose skilled in the art and it is obvious that evaporator l8 will be maintained v tacts interposed in an electric circuit leading to the motor. A bellows 38, having a pipe connection 39 to a thermostatic bulb 4|, is employed to actuate switch 31. The bulb 4| is positioned in compartment |3 in intimate thermal contact with evaporator 23 and a volatile liquid contained therein is thus responsive to temperatures of the evaporator for causing expansion and contraction of the bellows 36 to actuate switch 31.

viously thermal bulb 4| thereby tends to maintain the evaporators l6 and 23 and compartment i3 between predetermined temperature limits by controlling operation of motor i1 and consequently compressor i6. The electric supply lines 42 and 43 leading to switch 31 and motor i1 have branch wires 44, 45, 46 and 41 extending therefrom for a purpose to be presently described.

Since it is well known that in order to cool food products stored within the compartment l3 of cabinet ill to any appreciable degree the temperature of the air therein must be reduced below the dew point of moisture contained in the air. This cooling action of evaporator 23 causes moisture to be withdrawn from the air in the food compartment -i3 and from food products stored therein. The moisture accumulates on the walls of the evaporator 23 thus creating a so-called drying action of the foods. Others have provided means for supplying moisture to the air within a food storage compartment of the refrigerator cabinet to increase the humidity of the air so as to prevent drying of the foods and ordinarily such means have included a plurality of permanent pipe connections extending to and from the refrigerator cabinet. My invention particularly relates to this type of apparatus and particularly to a portable apparatus such, for example, as

small household refrigerator cabinets or cabinets. for installation in apartments which cabinets can be readily moved from one locality to another.

The apparatus of my invention is therefore provided with means for increasing the humidity of the dehumidified air within the compartment i3.

This means in the present disclosure comprises a tank or receptacle 46 surrounded by insulating material and disposed exteriorly of compartment l3. Moisture accumulating or condensing on evaporator 23 flows therefrom, during nonoperating. periods of the refrigerant liquefying and condensing unit, and is received in an elongated trough 4.1 provided in the food compartment bottom wall. A pipe 46 conveys the drip water caught in trough 41 from compartment l9 and c0 delivers the water to the tank 46. A means for removing impurities such as flavors and odors from the drip orcondensate water is provided in an'important feature of my invention to sterilizethe water purified by the charcoal partition 49 within the tank or collector 46. Therefore, any 7; suitable sterilizing means, such for example as collector tank 46.

silver electrodes 5| and" which dip into or'are submerged in the purified water within the tank 46 and which are energized by relatively low voltage current, thereby'inducing ions into the liquid which sterilize the same, may be employed. Any suitable source of current may be used to energize the electrodes 5| and 52. For example, a-transformer 53 connected across the branch wires 46 and 41 and a rectifier may furnish unidirec tional current of about two volts across the electrodes. Thus the drip or condensate water is purified and then sterilized to insure that all impurities are removed therefrom.

It will be noted that I have provided an overflow for the tank or collector 46 which comprises a conduit or pipe 5'6 having ,one of its ends connected with the tank near the top portion thereof; The other end of the overflow pipe 56 communicates with an electrical'heating device generally represented by-the reference character'51 and utilized for causing evaporation of excess water flowing from tank or collector 46 to the atmosphere outside the food storage compartment i3. The excess water evaporating device 51 comprises a vented porcelain or the like receptacle 56 having a pair of contacts or electrodes 59 and 6| positioned in the receptacle in spaced apart relation to one another and connected to the branch excess water evaporating-device 51 is therefore normally ineffective and is rendered effective by the flow of water thereinto. The water evaporating device 51- thereby :insures disposal of any excess water which tends to accumulate in the In order to cause .the sterilized purified con densate water to re-enter the food compartment v I3 I have provided means to heat same in tank 46 to cause vaporization or evaporation thereof.

This means'in the present invention comprises a heat dissipating portion of the refrigerant liquefying and condensing unit or portion of the refrigerating system associated with or mounted in the refrigerator cabinet 16, It will be noted that the condenser 3| of the refrigerant liquefying and condensingunit disclosed in Fig. 1 ofthe drawings-includes several pipe loops or turns 66 which are disposed in the'tank 46 in intimate heat exchange relation with the water therein. A pipe or conduit 64 communicates with the interior of tank 46 and with the foodstorage compartment II. The heat of condensation of refrigerant in the closed refrigerating system is thereby utilized to vaporize the sterilized purified condensate water within tank 46. This heat is transferred from the loops or turns 63 of the condenser coil or unit 3| to the water and causesv heating of the water to vaporize same-and causes flow of the sterilized purified water through pipe l6 where" it is mixed with or absorbed-by air therein to rehumidify the air dehumidifled by the cooling effect produced by evaporator 23 of the refrigerating system.

In the modified showing of my invention disclosed-in Fig. 2 of the drawings the refrigerating system associated with or mounted in the re- '64 mm the food compartment I! .of the-cabinet frigerator cabinet comprises a unit '65 which ,includes a motor directly connected with a compressor. It will be noted that the'dome of unit 65 is disposed in intimate thermal contact with.

the bottom metal wall of tank 46 so as to'transmit' the heat of compression of refrigerant in the i into the food storage compartment to rehumidify the air dehumidified by the cooling effect produced by evaporator 23 of therefrigerating system.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I haveprovided an improved refrigerating apparatus wherein air within the food storage compartment thereof is treated to maintain same at a predetermined moisture content for the purpose of preventing drying of the food and to prevent transferance of odors or flavors from certain foods to certain other foods stored in the compartment. My invention removes moisture from the air in the food storage compartment which 25 air is ordinarily contaminated by odors orflavors of foods and conveys the contaminated moisture out of the food compartment of the refrigerating apparatus where impurities. are'removed therefrom and where the purified water is then sterilized and causedto re-enter the food compartment. Thus 'my invention reduces contamination of the air to a minimum since contamination thereof in the present apparatus can take place only by the insertion of foods into the storage compartment. My invention permits the use of devices for removing impurities from con- 1 densate water and for sterilizing same so that condensate water may be employed to treat air in a refrigerating apparatus of a portable house- 40 hold cabinet.

While the'form of embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow. What is claimed is as follows: 1. A refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination, a cabinet having walls forming a food storage compartment therein, a cooling element exposed to air within said compartment,

said cooling element cooling the air and condensing moisture therefrom which drips from the cooling unit whereby the air Within said compartment is dehumidified, means for removing impurities from the drip water, and means for heating the purified drip water tocause evaporation thereof into the air in said food storage compartment to rehumidify'the air.

2. A refrigerating apparatus comprising 7 in combination, a cabinet having walls forming a food storage compartment therein, a cooling element exposed to air. within said compartment, said cooling element cooling the air and condensing moisture therefrom which drips from the cooling unit whereby the air within said compartment is dehumidified, means for collecting the drip water flowing from said cooling element exteriorly of said food compartment, means for removing impurities from the-water in said collecting means, and means .for heating the purifled drip water in said collecting means to cause evaporation thereof ,into the air in said food storage compartment to rehumidify the air.

3. A. refrigerating apparatus comprising in 75 combination, a. cabinet having walls forming a food storage cimpartment/ therein, a cooling-element exposed to air within said compartment, said cooling element cooling the air and condensing moisture therefrom which drips from the cooling unit whereby the air within said compartment is dehumidified, means for collecting the drip water flowing from said cooling element exteriorly of said foodcompartment, means. for removing impurities from the water in said coilecting means, means for heating the purified drip water to cause evaporation thereof into the air in said food storage compartment to rehumidify the air, anoverflow' for removing excess water from said collecting means, and means for causing evaporation of excess water flowing from said collecting means into the atmosphere exteriorly of said foodcompartment.

4. A refrigerating apparatus comprising .in combination,-'a cabinet having walls forming a foodstorage compartment therein, a cooling-ele- -ment exposed to air within said'compartment,

said cooling element cooling the air and condensing moisture therefrom which dips from the cooling unit whereby the air within said compartment is dehumidified, means for-collecting I the drip water flowing from said cooling element exteriorly of said food compartment, meansfor removing impurities from the water in said collecting means, means for heating the purified drip water to cause evaporation thereof into the air in said food storage compartment to rehumidify the air, an overflow for removing excess water fromsaid collecting means and'means' associated with said overflow for heating excess water flowing from said collecting means to cause evaporation thereof into the atmosphere exteriorly of said food compartment.

5. A refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination, a cabinet having walls forming a food storage compartment therein, a cooling ele- -ment exposed to air within saidcompartment,said

cooling element cooling the air and condensing moisture therefrom which drips from the cooling unit whereby the air within said compartment is dehumidified, means for collecting the drip water r flowing from said cooling element exteriorly of said food compartment, means for removing im-' purities from the water in said collecting means, means for heating the purified drip water to cause evaporation thereof into the air in said food storage compartment to rehumidify the air, an

overflow for removing excess water from said collecting means and means associated with said overflow for heating excess water. flowing from said collecting means to cause evaporation there-' of into the atmosphere exteriorly of said food compartment, said last named means being normally ineffective and rendered effective automatically by the flow of excess water thereto.

6. A refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination, a cabinet having walls forming a food storage compartment therein, a refrigerating system associated with said cabinet and including a cooling element and a unit for circulating a refrigerant gne'dium therethrough, said reicriger-v ant circulating unit being located outside of said food compartment and said cooling element -be j ing disposed within said compartment for cool.-

ing the air therein and condensing moisture therefrom which dips from the cooling unit whereby the air within said compartment is dehumidified, means for collecting the drip water flowing from said cooling element exteriorly of said food compartment, means, for removing impuritiesfrom the water in saidcollecting means,

means for sterilizing the purified water, and means for heating the sterilized purified water to cause evaporation thereof into the air in said food storage compartment to rehumidify the air therein.

Y 7. A refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination, a cabinet having walls forming a food storage compartment therein, a refrigerating system associated withsaid cabinet and including a cooling element and a unit for circulating a refrigerant medium therethrough, said refrigerant circulating unit being located outside of said food compartment and said coolingelement being disposed withinsaid compartment for cooling the air therein and condensing moisture therefrom which drips from the cooling unit whereby the air within said compartment is dehumidlfied, means for collecting the drip water flowing from said cooling element exteriorly of 20 said food compartment, means for removing impurities from the water in said collecting means, means for sterilizing the purified water, and means for heating the sterilized purifiedwater to cause evaporation thereof into the air in said food storage compartment to rehumidify the air therein, said heating means comprising a heat dissipating portion of said refrigerant circulating unit of the refrigerating system disposed in intimate heat exchange relation with the sterilized purified water in said water collecting means.

8. A refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination, a cabinet having walls forming a food storage compartment therein, a refrigerat ing system associated with said cabinet and in cluding a cooling element and'a unit for circulating a refrigerant medium therethrough, said refrigerant circulating unit being located outside of said food compartment and said cooling element being disposed within said compartment for cooling the air therein and condensing moisture therefrom which drips from the cooling unit whereby the air within said compartment is de.

humidified, means for collecting the drip water fiowing from said cooling element exteriorly of said food compartment, means for removing impurities from the water in said collecting means, means for sterilizing the purified water, means for heating the sterilized purified water to cause evaporation thereof into the air in said food storage compartment to rehumidify the air therein, an overflow for removing excess water from said collecting means, and means for causing evaporation of excess water flowing from said collecting means into the atmosphere exteriorly of said food storage compartment.

6 cooling the air therein and condensing moisture therefrom .which drips from the cooling unit whereby the air within saidcompartment is dehumidified, means for collecting the drip water flowing from said cooling element exteriorly of said food compartment, means for removing impurities from the water in 'said collecting means, means for sterilizingthe purified water, means for heating the. sterilized purified water to cause evaporation thereof into the air in said food storage compartment to rehumidify the air therein, said heating means comprising a heat dissipating portion of said refrigerant circulating unit of the refrigerating system disposed in intimate heat exchange relation with the sterilized purified water in said water collecting means, an overflow for removing excess water from said collecting means, and means associated with said overflow for heating excess water flowing from said collecting means to causeevaporation thereof into the atmosphere exteriorly o said food storage compartment.

10. A refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination, a cabinet having walls forming a food storage compartment therein, a refrigerating system associated with said cabinet and ineluding a cooling element and a unit for circulating a refrigerant medium therethrough, said re+ frigerant circulating unit being located outside of said food compartment and said cooling element being disposed within said compartment for cooling the air therein and condensing moisture f therefrom whichdrips from the cooling unit whereby the air within said compartment is dehumidified, means for collecting the drip water flowing from said cooling element exteriorly of said food compartment, means for removing imwater in said water collecting means, an overflow for removing excess water from said collecting means, and means associated with said overfiow for heating excess water flowing from said collecting means to cause evaporation thereof into the atmosphere exteriorly of said food storage compartment, said last named means being normally ineffective and rendered effective automatically by the fiow of excess water thereto.

11. A refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination, a cabinet having walls forming a food storage compartment therein, a cooling element exposed to air within 'said compartment, 1

said coolingelement cooling the air and condensing moisture therefrom which drips fromthe cooling unit whereby the air is dehumidified, means for sterilizing the drip water, and means for heating the sterilized drip water to cause evaporation thereof into the air in said food storage compartment to rehumidify the air.

12. A refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination, a cabinet having walls forming a food storage compartment therein, a cooling element exposed to air within said compartment,

said cooling element cooling the air and con-.

densing moisture therefrom which drips from the cooling unit whereby the air is dehumidified, means for collecting the-water flowing from said cooling element exteriorly of said food compartment, means for sterilizing the collected drip water, and means for heating the sterilized drip water in said collecting means tocause evaporation thereof into the air insaid food storage compartment to rehumidify the air.

13'. A refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination, a cabinet having walls forming a food storage compartment therein, a closed refrigerating system associated with said cabinet including a cooling element exposed to airiwithin said compartment and a unit for liquefying and circulating refrigerant through 'the cooling ele-' ment, said cooling element cooling the air within said compartment and condensing moisture lecting the water dripping from said cooling element, andmeans for heating the collected drip water to cause evaporation thereof into the air in said food compartment to rehumidify the air therein, said heating means comprising a heat dissipating portion ofsaid refrigerant liquefying and circulating unit of the refrigerating system disposed in intmate heat exchange relation with the collected drip water. 4

O 14. A refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination, a cabinet having walls forming a food storage compartment therein, a closed refri'gerating system associated with .said cabinet including a cooling element -exposedjzo air within said compartment and a unit for liquefying and circulating refrigerant through thecooling element, said cooling element cooling the air within said compartment and condensing moisture therefrom which drips from the cooling element -whereby the air is dehumidifled, means for conveying the drip water out of said food compartment, means for exposing water to the airin said food compartment to rehumidify the air therein, and said last named means including a heat dissipating portion of said refrigerant liquefying and circulating unit disposed in intimate heat exchange relation with the water exposed to the air in said food compartment.

' RICHARD E.v GOULD. 

